Companies make the silliest product launch videos, supposing the world’s an unhappier place without them: “This is Chrome…it’s the faster, simpler way to use the web on your computer,” declares Google’s latest. “But what if you’re away from your computer doing stuff…you love to do stuff, what then?”
Yes Google, we sure “love to do stuff,” and I guess we were all totally lost before Chrome for Android, so thank goodness you’ve just released it as a free public beta. Still, there’s one thing we won’t be able to do away from our computers with Chrome for Android, and that’s use Flash.
(MORE: Mobile Flash Abandoned for HTML5: Adobe Surrenders, Apple Wins?)
Adobe confirmed as much in a statement, writing:
Today Google introduced Chrome for Android Beta. As we announced last November, Adobe is no longer developing Flash Player for mobile browsers, and thus Chrome for Android Beta does not support Flash content. Flash Player continues to be supported within the current Android browser.
No surprises then, just business as usual — Adobe said sayonara to the mobile version of Flash in early November, announcing it was switching development to HTML5 and laying off about 750 people (8% of its global workforce).
Chrome for Android itself comes packing a few unexpected (but cool-sounding) features: Sign into Chrome on your Android device and it’ll load any tabs you had open when you stepped away from Chrome on your computer (assuming you were signed in there, too). Autocomplete suggestions and bookmarks also pass down from computer to phone, so if you’ve searched for it on your desktop or laptop or saved it as a bookmark, it’ll turn up on your Android device automatically.
Want it? You’ll find it on Android Market, though you’ll need Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich to make it so.